Moving accumulated symbols for award redemption

Abstract

Gaming systems and methods that accumulate zero, one or more symbols wherein the accumulation of one symbol triggers the movement of any previously accumulated symbols towards a symbol award redemption area.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . An electronic gaming system machine comprising:
 a housing comprising an access door;   a security monitoring circuit supported by the housing;   a display device supported by the housing;   a processor; and   a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor in association with a play of a game of a symbol accumulation sequence comprising a plurality of plays of the game, cause the processor to:
 determine a first display state of the electronic gaming machine by causing a display, by the display device, of a first symbol at a symbol generation display position, 
 when an opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit following the determination of the first display state of the electronic gaming machine:
 disable any displayed movement of any accumulated symbols, 
 store data associated with the first display state of the electronic gaming machine, the stored data comprising the display of the first symbol at the first symbol generation display position, and 
 following at least a closing of the access door detected via the security monitoring circuit:
 load the stored data to reconstitute the first display state of the electronic gaming machine, and 
 enable any displayed movement of any accumulated symbols, 
 
 
 responsive to the first symbol being displayed at the symbol generation display position and an accumulated second symbol being displayed at a first symbol accumulation display position related to the symbol generation display position when no opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit, determine a second display state of the electronic gaming machine by:
 causing a display, by the display device, of a movement of the accumulated second symbol from the first symbol accumulation display position to a second symbol accumulation display position related to the first symbol accumulation display position, 
 causing a display, by the display device, of a movement of the first symbol from the symbol generation display position to the first symbol accumulation display position, and 
 causing a display, by the display device, of an accumulation of the first symbol in association with the first symbol accumulation display position, and 
 
 responsive to the first symbol being displayed at the symbol generation display position and an accumulated third symbol being displayed at a third symbol accumulation display position related to a symbol redemption display position when no opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit, determine a third display state of the electronic gaming machine by:
 causing a display, by the display device, of a movement of the accumulated third symbol from the third symbol accumulation display position to the symbol redemption display position, 
 causing a display, by the display device, of a redemption of the accumulated third symbol, and 
 causing a display, by the display device, of a modification of a total award based on any award associated with the redeemed third symbol. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to the first symbol being displayed at the symbol generation display position and an accumulated fourth symbol being displayed at a fourth symbol accumulation display position unrelated to the symbol generation display position when no opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit, cause the processor to determine a fourth display state of the electronic gaming machine by:
 causing a display, by the display device, of a movement of the accumulated fourth symbol from the fourth symbol accumulation display position to a fifth symbol accumulation display position related to the fourth symbol accumulation display position,   causing a display, by the display device, of the movement of the first symbol from the symbol generation display position to the first symbol accumulation display position, and   causing a display, by the display device, of an accumulation of the first symbol in association with the first symbol accumulation display position.   
     
     
         3 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to the first symbol being displayed at the symbol generation display position and no accumulated symbols being displayed at the first symbol accumulation display position related to the symbol generation display position when no opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit, cause the processor to determine a fourth display state of the electronic gaming machine by:
 causing a display, by the display device, of the movement of the first symbol from the symbol generation display position to the first symbol accumulation display position, and 
 causing a display, by the display device, of an accumulation of the first symbol in association with the first symbol accumulation display position. 
 
     
     
         4 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to no symbols being displayed at any symbol generation display positions and the accumulated second symbol being displayed at the first symbol accumulation display position when no opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit, cause the processor to determine a fourth display state of the electronic gaming machine by causing a display, by the display device, of a retention of the accumulated second symbol displayed at the first symbol accumulation display position. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 4 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to no symbols being displayed at any symbol generation display positions and the accumulated third symbol being displayed at the third symbol accumulation display position when no opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit, cause the processor to determine a fifth display state of the electronic gaming machine by causing a display, by the display device, of a retention of the accumulated third symbol displayed at the third symbol accumulation display position. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the symbol generation display position is associated with a reel. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 6 , wherein another symbol generation display position is associated with another reel. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to a conclusion of the symbol accumulation sequence when no opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit, cause the processor to not modify the total award based on any accumulated symbols displayed at any symbol accumulation display positions. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first symbol remains accumulated in association with the first symbol accumulation display position until a first of a conclusion of the symbol accumulation sequence and a movement of the first symbol from the first symbol accumulation display position to the second symbol accumulation display position. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein an award associated with the redeemed third symbol comprises an activation of a feature. 
     
     
         11 . An electronic gaming machine comprising:
 a housing comprising an access door;   a security monitoring circuit supported by the housing;   a display device supported by the housing;   a processor; and   a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor in association with a symbol accumulation sequence comprising a plurality of plays of a game, cause the processor to:
 determine a first display state of the electronic gaming machine by causing a display, by the display device, of a plurality of symbol generation display positions, wherein any randomly determined symbols from any of the plurality of plays of the game are initially displayed at at least one of the symbol generation display positions, 
 when an opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit following the determination of the first display state of the electronic gaming machine:
 disable any accumulation of any randomly determined symbols, 
 store data associated with the first display state of the electronic gaming machine, the stored data comprising the display of the plurality of symbol generation display positions, and 
 following at least a closing of the access door detected via the security monitoring circuit:
 load the stored data to reconstitute the first display state of the electronic gaming machine, and 
 enable any accumulation of any randomly determined symbols, and 
 
 
 when no opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit, determine a second display state of the electronic gaming machine by:
 causing a display, by the display device, of a plurality of symbol accumulation display positions, wherein at least one of the plurality of symbol accumulation display positions is related to at least one of the plurality of symbol generation display positions, and any randomly determined symbols from any of the plurality of plays of the game are accumulated in association with at least one of the symbol accumulation display positions, and 
 causing a display, by the display device, of a plurality of symbol redemption display positions, wherein at least one of the plurality of symbol redemption display positions is related to at least one of the plurality of symbol accumulation display positions, and any randomly determined symbols from any of the plurality of plays of the game are redeemed in association with at least one of the symbol redemption display positions. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 11 , wherein any randomly determined symbols from any of the plurality of plays of the game are sequentially displayed at at least two of the plurality of symbol accumulation display positions prior to being redeemed in association with any of the plurality of symbol redemption display positions. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 11 , wherein at least two of the plurality of symbol accumulation display positions are ordered relative to at least one of the symbol redemption display positions. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of symbol generation display positions is associated with an individual reel operable to randomly determine a symbol. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the symbol accumulation display positions is associated with an individual reel inoperable, during the symbol accumulation sequence, to randomly determine any symbols. 
     
     
         16 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 11 , wherein any awards associated with any redeemed symbols contribute to a total award of the symbol accumulation sequence. 
     
     
         17 . An electronic gaming machine comprising:
 housing comprising an access door;   a security monitoring circuit supported by the housing;   a display device supported by the housing;   a processor; and   a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 responsive to an occurrence of a symbol accumulation sequence triggering event, trigger a symbol accumulation sequence comprising a plurality of plays of a game, each play of the game comprises a display, by the display device, of a symbol generation display position, a display, by the display device, of a plurality of symbol accumulation display positions, and a display, by the display device, of a symbol redemption display position, 
 responsive to an occurrence of a symbol generation event, determine a first display state of the electronic gaming machine by causing a display, by the display device, of a symbol at the symbol generation display position, 
 when an opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit following the determination of the first display state of the electronic gaming machine:
 disable each of any accumulation of any symbol, any movement of any symbol and any redemption of any symbol 
 store data associated with the first display state of the electronic gaming machine, the stored data comprising the display of the symbol at the symbol generation display position, and 
 following at least a closing of the access door detected via the security monitoring circuit:
 load the stored data to reconstitute the first display state of the electronic gaming machine, and 
 enable each of any accumulation of any symbol, any movement of any symbol and any redemption of any symbol, 
 
 
 responsive to an occurrence of a symbol accumulation event when no opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit, determine a second display state of the electronic gaming machine by causing a display, by the display device, of an accumulation of the symbol at a first one of the plurality of symbol accumulation display positions, 
 responsive to an occurrence of an accumulated symbol movement event when no opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit, determine a third display state of the electronic gaming machine by causing a display, by the display device, of a movement of the symbol from the first one of the plurality of symbol accumulation display positions to a second one of the plurality of symbol accumulation display positions, and 
 responsive to an occurrence of an accumulated symbol redemption event when no opening of the access door is detected via the security monitoring circuit, determine a fourth display state of the electronic gaming machine by causing a display, by the display device, of a redemption of the symbol. 
   
     
     
         18 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the symbol accumulation event, the accumulated symbol movement event, and the accumulated symbol redemption event occurs responsive to the occurrence of the symbol generation event. 
     
     
         19 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 17 , wherein the accumulated symbol redemption event occurs responsive to the occurrence of the accumulated symbol movement event. 
     
     
         20 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 17 , wherein the redemption of the symbol is associated with a realization of any award associated with the symbol.